My friend wants me to build him a new system for "about $650." I asked him what he wanted, and here's what he said:
"A decent graphics card with 1 GB of memory, a 3.0 GHz quad core, 8 GB of RAM." He didn't have any other specifics in mind. He's by no means a power user at all. I think the most graphics intensive think he does is play World of Warcraft. Otherwise, he just surfs the net and uses typical Office-like programs. (No idea why he wants 8 GB of RAM.)
I've worked in computer shops before fixing old computers, but I've never spent much time with new computers, so I have no idea about the latest and greatest hardware. Here's what I was thinking, just based on browsing Newegg.com and Drectron.com. I'd appreciate any feedback.
AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor Model HDX945WFGIBOX ($165)
The Intel Core i5 would outperform that Phenom II 945, even though it's only 2.66ghz. Clock speed isn't everything. Also, tell your friend he won't need 8GB of RAM.
Sorry... A few things I see that I'm supposed to add. Resolution will probably be 1024 x 768, overclocking not necessary, peripherals not needed (monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc.), Windows 7 64 bit OS, and will be purchasing parts sometime next week.
The Intel Core i5 would outperform that Phenom II 945, even though it's only 2.66ghz. Clock speed isn't everything. Also, tell your friend he won't need 8GB of RAM.